


Collected Works

by melwil



Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-11
Updated: 2011-04-11
Packaged: 2017-10-17 22:37:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/182027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melwil/pseuds/melwil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tessa wants to use her information against them. Spoilers up to mid series 5.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collected Works

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in 2007

There were folders piled on her desk. Most of the time Tessa left them there, allowed them to collect dust, allowed them to be covered by work which was more important. But every now and then something new came along, and she pulled them out of the debris, opened them, added the new pieces of information.

She told herself that it was a vital part of staying afloat in this business. But really, underneath, she knew it was about having fun.

Tessa liked to know everything, liked having all the necessary intelligence. It made her more powerful, gave her all the weapons one person might need. It allowed her to have revenge when she needed it.

She laughed when the news about Tom began to come through. She was disappointed in Christine Dale’s questionable taste. Back in the old days Tessa had spent quite a bit of time with Christine. She liked her quite a lot. She liked the way Christine was easy to manipulate.

She poured herself a glass of scotch when she heard that Tom had shot Harry and drank the rest of the bottle when Tom was removed from the service. She heard about his pension, about the generous amount of money which would follow him wherever he might go. She wondered why she never thought about shooting Harry.

The information was sketchier when Zoe went on trial. Tessa had to spend more money that time, had to provide more favours for uncooperative informants. But the right whispers in the right ears gave her what she wanted, and she was able to follow Zoe, on paper at least, to the other side of the world.

One day she would pay Zoe the visit she’d always promised.

With her main concerns out of the way, Tessa began turning her attention to the new people infiltrating the grid. She knew all there was to know about Sam Buxton, of course, but there was the mousy intelligence girl, Ruth; and Adam, the dashing new man from MI6. She created files for them, made new contacts, added to the information she already had. Then she added Fiona, Zaf, Jo . . .

She knew there would be a point when she stopped collecting the information and started using it. But the right moment, the right opportunity never quite showed up. Half the time she worked herself to the bone trying to keep her business afloat, trying to keep the money pouring in. It was in those moments that she hated Harry the most.

And then the right information arrived.

She’d chuckled when her favourite contact told her that Harry was falling in love with Ruth Evershed. She didn’t think the bastard was capable of real, human emotion. She didn’t think anyone would be foolish enough to fall for him.

She knew that she could use the relationship against him, that she could threaten to tell Ruth everything she knew. She could make Harry pay for what he’d put her through, make Harry understand that it wasn’t the way to treat someone who’d done so much for the country.

She packed up most of her files into sturdy boxes, leaving just two aside. They would go into storage now, waiting for her until the time she might need them again. Now her only concern was Harry and the love he was foolish enough to share.

Harry was at his weakest now. Tessa couldn’t wait to destroy him.


End file.
